Building an Iron Mine Route We've Never Tried Before in Railroads Online!

[@Timmzy27]

What makes this series appealing is the chill nature you’ve got going on, the casual building of tracks, the on the fly plans, the very detailed chatting about the history of trains/railroads and the chill loading/unloading of cargo at each destination. It’s more about the journey and I love it

[@big_beed]

Hear me out. Start the main line to the iron mine from the bridge you guys were on in the intro. You won't have to climb as much elevation.

[@cat_03tv]

Well I'd say start building from the iron mine and see where you end up going towards the smelter at a (somewhat) reasonable in-/decline

[@sergeantscar6224]

Good idea

[@froof2330]

stop the back seat gaming

[@donovanreid427]

@@froof2330 ??

[@sairadinnmichaelis]

@@froof2330 kAn and Hyce adked for ideas. How on earth can you call that backseat gaming?

[@Jackadoor]

I think your best bet, while keeping the helper station where it is, would be to make switchbacks up the side of the mountain. Not sure how easy that would be to put in though.

[@pulser8973]

At 22:38 you mentioned you can't lay floating bridges. This is true, but I've been able to lay trackless ballast down across a stretch, then lay the bridge over top of the ballast to achieve the same affect. A bridge that is "off the ground". If you revisit the bridge idea, maybe try that? Loving the series with Hyce, keep it up!

[@mtfgamma6257]

maybe a switchback route up to the Iron mine? Switchbacks look pretty neat and I think some Narrow guage's have used it in the past.

[@ElderonAnalas]

There's a museum here in WV that was for an old logging industry that has a surviving shay engine like in the game now, and it's been made into a little picnic area at the old logging camp. But it has, 4 switchbacks and goes up at a 5% grade to go up and has been converted into a passenger train. It's so fun. And that was my original plan for those industries.

[@katies6426]

I was thinking Georgetown looping it, or they have to start the climb earlier.

[@mtfgamma6257]

@@ElderonAnalas duuuude, Shay's are my bae, I love em!

[@mtfgamma6257]

@@katies6426 That is also an option haha, I just figure a switchback would make it more interesting and engaging. But I also get that to some, it would be tedious.

[@bradsmith1842]

@@ElderonAnalas Are you talking about the Cass Scenic Railroad?

[@PasiFourmyle]

I almost spit my food out when Kan started moving the train and showed how derailed the tender was! That was just hilarious!

[@eren_yeager6683]

I'm loving the new railroads online content good work keep it up :)

[@swskitso]

Looks like a great place to do a gravity line. Hitting that 0% after the descent means you can compete to see who can make it the farthest with different numbers of cars. You could even build track at the iron mine on an angle so you can load it like a magazine with empties then load and ride them down just using brakes.

[@IconicDavexD]

All the track laying to the Iron mine would be a fun/painful livestream idea for you guys :D For the once who wanna join for the painful ride and when a cut down version for everyone else :)

[@1982jeepcj8]

We need log cribbing fills, and a truss or plate girder bridge section, it would make under/overpasses so much easier and the log cribbing we a lot more narrow guage and less Pennsylvania RR. As for what to do with the right of way. And Kan will love this, a terminus yard to stage loaded hoppers, empty hoppers, loaded flats and empty flats a departure track and a in bound track. Your high speed road engines bring in cars, pick up cars in the yard and leaves, at the helper station, a geared locomotive takes thing up a steeper Georgetown loop nonsense that curves around the end of the valley, climbs up opposite side of the valley in the direction of the smelter, hooks back around and climbs back maybe with switchback to climb up to the iron mine.

[@MrMattkid]

I noticed that there is a valley that goes around the back of the mountain range. What if your track went up the backside going at like a 1% incline? You could also have a line that travels around through that valley to deliver iron products to the other industries.

[@Nevir202]

I believe that's the way he went in the prior playthrough?

[@MrMattkid]

@@Nevir202 Negative they are going through the valley in the middle of the two ranges where the river sits. There is another valley just over the eastern range.

[@theotherbrandofbleach4272]

Thank you for keeping my mind at ease over finals week 👍

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

Only thing I see is the same route but going 1-2% grade the entire route. Also helps to build backwards from your destination unless you're trying not to do that.

[@Pystro]

I was screaming at my screen the whole time you were doing that route in 0% grade. My solution would be to start by building a 1% decline route down the western side of the valley. And once you reach the plateau that's halfway between the smelter and iron mine you can either spiral on top of it, or you can continue along the mountain into the western end of the short valley to the north of it, if you prefer your spiral to hug cliff faces.

[@Pystro]

The analysis that led me to this plan (skip if you don't like "wall of text" comments). As I see it, there's 4 ways to solve the problem A: My 2nd most favorite solution would be to just cheat and build a train car lift, aka what they called an "inclined plane" in early railroading. From where your helper station is, hook a 90° right turn and then put something that serves as a visual justification for why you re-railing each car individually up the cliff side. B: Re-build everything you did as a 1% or 2% incline. What's the point in staying flat if your engines could easily do a 1% incline? (And every 100 feet you spend going up at 1% instead of 0% will mean 20 feet less of your 2 kilometer long 5% incline spiral.) C: Start the iron mine route from a higher point than the _very bottom_ of the smelter ditch. People in the comments seem to suggest: Either switch off from the trestle at the north end of the valley (right above where you wanted the switch off between the iron mine and coal mine routes), which would imply starting out on the eastern (left) side of the valley (at least on its northern fraction). Or switch off right at the canyon pass that leads into the iron mine and smelter valley, which would imply starting out on the western (right) side of the valley (at least on the northern fraction). D: Just spiral *a lot*. With options B and/or C (and you'll likely want both) you might need to also do D to make it. If you choose B or C, then crossing the valley at that area where you needed the tall bridge is out of the question (unless you build up some foundations under the bridge). So the main question is: "which side of the valley?" The main issue here is the craggy-ness of the mountain face at that point, making a 90°-ish turn on the right (west) side. Hugging that cliff side is out of the question (at least at he height you were at). But just passing over it is definitely possible based on the height levels. And since the western side of the valley offers more opportunities to build the spiral, I'd choose that side. This is why I'd hug the west side of the valley and that steep cliffed spot (where you needed the tall bridge) I would clear at a different height. I would build your "spiral of insanity" somewhere to the northwest of the bridge of "ran out of mountain". With a 1% route from the north that plateau is definitely reachable, since it's literally on the same level as the canyon pass into the smelter+iron mine valley.

[@Dallen9]

I only suggest that you re do the whole line going up either a 1% grade hugging the right side of the valley and/or set a switch on the bridge entering the smelter yard and hug the left side of the valley.

[@tonig2255]

Yeah right side seems a little more manageable than the left up higher. Regardless it's gonna look goofy.

[@LaserStriker100]

Dude I agree with that idea but they should start from the iron mine and go down 1% till they get to a flat 0% line

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

I was about to suggest this with 2 percent since the mosca will run fine on that

[@JeffreyCasserly]

Alpine Tunnel: crossed under the Divide from North two South. 11,400 feet. Operable only v4 months out of the year to do heave snowfalls, drifts and avalanched. Palisade stone wall laid my Italian stone masons who dry laid it so well that it is intact and still usable. Great jeep drive.

[@KibuFox]

That siding you have off near your yard, is something called a "Tail track". Tail tracks are designed around letting switchers (RCO's mostly today), work inside the yard without ever conflicting with the main line.

[@peterhamilton7723]

These beginning three minutes that Hyce didn't show are great 👍

[@maskedlordofficial]

If you use the switch track like you used to use the cross track to get to the other side, you can still skybridge with that method but only in a strait line

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

2 things: firstly, you can still get a floating bridge, you just have to build groundwork, build the bridge onto the groundwork, then remove the groundwork. Secondly, maybe you can try a switchback instead of a helix?

[@daemonicone4098]

I am loving this series. Thanks so much to you and Hyce!

[@ypungy1138]

It is still possible to lay floating track. You just need to snap the big turn tables to each other. Once you have your line of floating turn tables, place a short bit of track, then connect back to the start. Make sure to snap the starting piece of track when laying the full bridge, because it will do some wack stuff if you snap it to the turn table backward. FYI, I've noticed when doing that, the bridge gets a weird hump when creating the full bridge, and I loose hight over long distances, so just build it in short segments, snaping the cross piece to then end and using that.

[@AkariEnderwolf]

Honestly, just make a 3% only run up there, I was able to just that by laying some groundwork first along the path I wanted to place my steel bridge at the valley floor. You can raise up your build hight by stacking groundwork effectively. After that first bridge, everything was 3% following the edge of the mountain with no issues, and no need for additional groundwork.

[@billygames9161]

I think the 0-6-0 when you get it should be called Thomas for the memes lol

[@magicmushrum6661]

i've finished this game again after you two started and i wanted to play again, although mine isn't super smooth there are a few minimum radius turns but they work, anyway i also have a few bridge spirals to gain height. and a steel bridge can be placed on itself at a constant radius and if you get the incline right you could make a giant corkscrew. also you can put down a rail-less wall and use that to make taller bridges.

[@deathwishdrang1780]

hmmm, save what you have, name it The Canyon Scenic RR, get a dinner car and a coach, make a wine tasting train, then go back and find another route?

[@simonlees2848]

I think you can still kinda get around the bridge limit by putting ground work randomly in the valley building the bridge on top of the groundwork and then deleting the groundwork again, it'd be cooler if you could make pillars for it to rest on though

[@marcintracz4695]

KaN If u dont know, you can put higher bridge. U need to put groundwork at bottom of a walley (groundwork need to be fully supported by groud, or other groudwork). Then place bridge and delete groudwork to work on supports, so its not floating in air. In my save a needed to place 3 highest groundwork one on top of the other to place bridge at all, but it works fine. I hope i helped u guys, and others who wanted bigger brigdes on new splines. Its great to see new wideo with u guys :)

[@diegokevin3824]

Well, you could try to do a reverse route; start at the iron mine, and see where the track wants to go. If you make it a, more or less, constant decline, you could theoretically run some trains as gravity trains all the way to the smelter.

[@CobetcknnKolowski]

Maybe I'm missing something but why don't Y'all go to the left of that river and start climbing immediately instead of staying flat, that way you can start going up sooner. Love these videos!

[@knightbeforedawn]

There is a fuel car... It comes with many engines. If you could buy the tenders separately from the engines it would be great, but in lieu of that maybe buy a few engines for display and steal their tenders to transfer fuel for the engines that are in service!

[@barneyklingenberg4078]

For the sawmill to iron mine my route hugs the mountain north side straight from the sawmill at roughly 1,5-2 degrees all the way to the mine. So maximum is 2 degrees because the entire line is rising apart from flat section arround the sawmill. I will try something similar to the smelter. But it's harder due to the smelter being so low. and far away from hills

[@lytlejj1408]

go back and make most of the line from the iron works at a 1-2% grade and then use what you have built now as the return line. then you use a 2 to 5% grade downhill bridge that goes down until you reach the elevation of your helper station and then connects to the station.

[@mattymerr701]

Hyce manages to make each video like a lecture, except he only touches on things as they come up, in mostly interesting ways

[@Batteer]

In my first save I had a 2% run along the right side of the river from the smelter. Even from all the way back there I didn't make it up to the mine. I had to build a switch yard at the plateau just bellow the mine and have a team of gear locos drag trains up a 10% to service the iron mine.

[@Saiwanngo]

on the right side of the valley there is a plato where there is enough space to build a spiral up to the maximum length of the steel bridge and from there you can with 2-3% to the Minne

[@Dartace2ace]

“Choo choos dont fly” KAN 2022 quote of the year.

[@valentinemorgenstern62]

I would do what logging and some mining railroads did and just leave this line to a Shay or a Heisler. With the strength those two engines give, you can have a steep grade and just piggyback the line back and forth, vertically climbing the mountain.

[@SonnyKnutson]

I think you should do it like a hot wheels track. You build down a bit. Then make a stopper and a switch and go back the same way you came from (kinda) but down again. Then another switch and stopper and go back one more time :D

[@codyrush9088]

What about a switchback shunt lane with every lane being a little higher so you can keep it all 1 or 2 percent

[@TOPGLOGAN2.0YT]

WHEN I SAW THE TITLE OF THE VIDEO IT REMINDS ME OF THE 5TH SEASON EPISODE "HUANTED HENRY" FROM THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE CLASSIC SERIES BEWARE OF THE VIADUCT !

[@daesmith3274]

All ideas aside we viewers have I think your doing pretty darn good man.

[@damonculbert5853]

I really enjoy all your railroads online videos

[@alexsmodelrailroad2795]

I did a helix up one of the plateaus to go vertical at 2% and then along the mountain a solid 2%

[@AverageS2000Enjoyer]

"Welcome to falling down cliff simulator 1895." **W H E E Z E**

[@vega1287]

i remember that in earlyer versions we couldn't make bridges as tall as you wanted so i had to lay some groundwork frst

[@horman1973]

I am pretty sure, you two have done all the tracks on den map in one session - just because you love doing this! 🤭

[@--cook--]

with this, i have finished all the recent episodes of this new series and boy am i sad that i have to wait for more videos now

[@aidenallen912]

Heyyoh! I recently built my iron ore line but I switched off closer to the water fall, ran my iron over the river before the falls up above your valley to the left while my refinery line continues downward bridging over the river after the falls

[@Narpets2112]

Switchbacks which were very popular in the mountains.

[@TOPGLOGAN2.0YT]

ALSO KAHN YOU SHOULD DO TRAIN RACING ON A 800 FOOT HIGHT BIRGE THATS IN A STRAIGHT LINE WITHOUT FALLING OFF FROM HIGH SPEEDS

[@simpinainteasy1916]

I would have started the climb right after the river at 1.5 % grade I'm quite confident you would be able to make it.

[@casual_time_machine6536]

I feel like you would be a lot more efficient if you built a T-junction for turning around or for coming off a main line.

[@kalebrouble5873]

The Porter is a very good shunter. I use it all the time on my server.

[@foreveruknown4899]

Imo, scrap the helper station, and just follow the edge of the hill to the right, then curve back around the rest of the way up

[@VestedUTuber]

Honestly, you're going to have to do some sort of actual helix. But it's not unprecidented - the Tehachapi Loop on the Union Pacific is a good example of a full-size standard gauge helix. Also... SLOW RIDE! TAKE IT EASY!

[@Solious]

Ooo mine route this episode!

[@thedwarfking4805]

would it not be better to work from the stone path close to the water and hop back over to the left side and hug that mountain up continuing a 1% incline most if not the whole way up, then everything is on the same side and allows for less looping?

[@skychaserthedragon2046]

In short, they can't just "make the support structures infinite" (or very, very long) because that would be a LOT of extra geometry that the game would need to render for every bridge segment you place (as game engines tend to render geometry even when it's not visible to the player) and it would likely slow down the game significantly.

[@larsrademakers6070]

You can build higher bridges on other bridges, then they dont have to touch the ground

[@eminem29fan]

Tunnels would be so handy for this run to the ore mine etc.

[@neonnation7347]

I had a crazy thought on how you could get up there. You could trie to go back and forth with switches along the clifside until you are on the top?

[@crashbandit7270]

I'll buy this game one day, single dad life has my priorities elsewhere. Nice video!

[@tenshi88swiss]

Just gonna say the same thing as on Hyce's Video. Devil's Nose Train from Equador

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

Hoo boy that is not great for freight making a 1 or 2 percent grade leading up to the helper station

[@sidewinder_076]

I'm loving the series

[@Gamer55smith]

Keep up the good work kAN

[@stinger7842]

Could try a large helix from the helper station around the surrounding mountains

[@ytzpilot]

I see you are completely blowing the bridge budget once again 🤣

[@howradisit]

I would like to see you make a 2% or less grade from the iron mine back to the smelter and see how high it was above and do switchbacks or fast loops

[@Volkaer]

Do you get lag when you connect 40 or 50 cars by the way? Some people think it may be the new bridges that are causing the issues (others saying it's number of switches), while the most noticeable difference is when I start connecting more cars to the train. Like really noticeable difference, we talking from close to 100fps down to single digits :(

[@haydnskinner528]

Love the route

[@stripyrhombus]

It may not be realistic but maybe try a series of helixes that go 1-2% up until you get to the mine

[@raelsadd]

"choo-choos don't fly" - kan 2022

[@Omnia-0001]

I think you'll have to continue straight, left and up around the mountain to get to the iron mine.

[@devoidemralek7918]

the train boys are back lol

[@aiden6451]

did yall know that if you type AWESOME on a vid it does something cool

[@18JEFF18]

I think it would be better if each main industry owned their own cars and named accordingly so when trains dropped off cars at certain industries they can stay organized. Will come in handy when you have multiple people running trains and yard crew

[@malightingcreator3722]

Ok so I have no idea if this idea is absolute stupidity or not... but you could do some kind of switchbacks. You could either keep to that side of the valley or cross over in a U-turn, ascend on that side of the mountain, and then make another U-turn back to the other side where the bridge is.

[@gentlegiantcoop5318]

This is my favorite series you got btw like number 128

[@lufkingaming]

How do you have your graphic setting I have such bad fps once I get the train moving? Your videos are always very smooth

[@sacredterrador5611]

Finished my first mountain route, aaaaaand my Montezuma locomotive can’t make it all the way, there’s one spot where the rails go to like, 1-1.5% rise, and it stalls out.

[@Grunkle_Skeletor]

ive found a way to get around the bridge too high isue. Its stupidly simple. Just use an embankment to build up the ground under where you want your bridge to be.

[@bluexknight577]

you can stack the metal bridges if you need

[@gh-wb8lx]

They really should add signs so you know where you need to switch to

[@priceymemes7699]

Why not use the caboose because like hear me out they have small bunches of wood for the fireplaces inside so if you haul like five or six of them up there and leave them on the other side of the track, you can use the wood from inside the cabooses to fill up the engines as they’re going up and down the mountain

[@shawngarza6033]

Hi i been watching for awhile and fun to see what goes on when plans don;t go right.

[@brannonhamman7791]

For at the turn table. Y didn’t y’all use the new big red one? Or did y’all try and it not work out?

[@inotsmarty5700]

the Moscow is super fast

[@Astrolex12]

Kan: "this is 0%!" But also, the river is significantly lower than their current track and flowing towards their previous track... Does the water flow UPHILL?

[@thegamer7260]

Can I play scrap mechanic with me one day?😮

[@FreezingHot]

you should buy 2 of the cheapest engines with a tender and disconnect the tenders to use as a fuel car! please do!

[@damiendutch420]

What if instead of the 0% youd make it a 1% upwards. Might not be excactly what you want. But you'll have way less of a distance to go up and it might actually work instead of a 1km 10%

[@anonbefallen4807]

A less that half am hour long RRO episode? Unacceptable!! Jk

[@oogabooga7824]

Hello, love your content!

[@richardjayroe8922]

Use an old tender from a locomotive as the fuel storage

[@steeljawX]

Asking for me, really, but can you multi-track drift in RRO? I mean it looks like you can set it up. I want to see 1880's Rocky Mountain Narrow Gauge DRIFT!!!!! at a blinding 12 mph.

[@easternwoyer3876]

8:17 that's your original coal route

[@Der_Yoloist]

I have an idea. What if you 2 stream the next episode? I think RO is the perfect game for this especially with special guest Hyce :) (Also You could then use the pun: "Steam starting soon")

[@Salem-yk7fs]

Could you possibly have a train of just tender cars for a refueling train?

[@DalorianShep]

Why not just figure out the incline increase and then slowly start that over the entire length of the track it's just gradual the entire way and zero's off at bridges or near the end?